Comments on: Test Equipment Pr0n: The HP 3312A http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/test-equipment-pr0n-the-hp-3312a/ Join the resistance. Wed, 23 May 2012 05:37:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/test-equipment-pr0n-the-hp-3312a/comment-page-1/#comment-5569 Jeff Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:29:35 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2492#comment-5569 Alan - One of the boards has no solder mask. The other has a light green semi-transparent mask. The traces are gold plated on both boards, so corrosion of the copper shouldn't be an issue in either case! Alan – One of the boards has no solder mask. The other has a light green semi-transparent mask. The traces are gold plated on both boards, so corrosion of the copper shouldn’t be an issue in either case!

]]> By: Alan Parekh http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/test-equipment-pr0n-the-hp-3312a/comment-page-1/#comment-5564 Alan Parekh Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:46:36 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2492#comment-5564 Those are some nice looking pics Jeff! Is there no solder mask on the board? Or is some sort of clear variety? Those are some nice looking pics Jeff! Is there no solder mask on the board? Or is some sort of clear variety?

]]> By: Veste http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/test-equipment-pr0n-the-hp-3312a/comment-page-1/#comment-5535 Veste Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:34:08 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2492#comment-5535 Reading this reminds me that I had exactly the same story with my Tektronix signal generator. Bought from the 'bay, strange offset on the output, one defective output transistor... seems to be common! Lesson learned: always lookout if there's a service manual available before buying some second hand equipment. Veste Reading this reminds me that I had exactly the same story with my Tektronix signal generator. Bought from the ‘bay, strange offset on the output, one defective output transistor… seems to be common!
Lesson learned: always lookout if there’s a service manual available before buying some second hand equipment.
Veste

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/test-equipment-pr0n-the-hp-3312a/comment-page-1/#comment-5533 Jeff Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:08:56 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2492#comment-5533 Very nice! Dave Jones of the EEVBlog really likes those old HP DMM's. My collection includes a Fluke 8442A and a Fluke 45. I really wanted an HP/Agilent 34401A but they are quite expensive, even on eBay. Very nice! Dave Jones of the EEVBlog really likes those old HP DMM’s. My collection includes a Fluke 8442A and a Fluke 45. I really wanted an HP/Agilent 34401A but they are quite expensive, even on eBay.

]]> By: Michael M. Butler http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/test-equipment-pr0n-the-hp-3312a/comment-page-1/#comment-5532 Michael M. Butler Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:51:28 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2492#comment-5532 I picked up an HP 34_6_8B 5.5 digit DMM not long ago. I like it too much to pop the lid (yet). "Obsolete"? Feh! I picked up an HP 34_6_8B 5.5 digit DMM not long ago. I like it too much to pop the lid (yet). “Obsolete”? Feh!

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/test-equipment-pr0n-the-hp-3312a/comment-page-1/#comment-5472 Jeff Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:27:45 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2492#comment-5472 Fiber optic cables? In a multimeter?! That definitely beats my Fluke 8842A! Fiber optic cables? In a multimeter?! That definitely beats my Fluke 8842A!

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/test-equipment-pr0n-the-hp-3312a/comment-page-1/#comment-5471 Jeff Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:24:24 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2492#comment-5471 I used to own a Tek 491 spectrum analyzer that was also pretty interesting, but it was less beautiful and more crowded inside! There were probably a few pounds of gold in its construction if you added up every single trace, can, and connector that was gold plated. I think that you have a point about even test equipment and industrial machinery becoming disposable. Maybe that is why now everything has to be ROHS? So it is more compatible with the landfill... :-( I used to own a Tek 491 spectrum analyzer that was also pretty interesting, but it was less beautiful and more crowded inside! There were probably a few pounds of gold in its construction if you added up every single trace, can, and connector that was gold plated.

I think that you have a point about even test equipment and industrial machinery becoming disposable. Maybe that is why now everything has to be ROHS? So it is more compatible with the landfill… :-(

]]> By: Davi http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/test-equipment-pr0n-the-hp-3312a/comment-page-1/#comment-5465 Davi Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:23:17 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2492#comment-5465 *DROOL* This reminds me of a 310A I have gathering dust on a shelf in my apartment: http://pcbunn.cithep.caltech.edu/jjb/Tektronix/310A/default.htm The coolest thing about that scope is that it was apparently built before the advent of the PCB, so there are all these weird ceramic interconnects and resistors hanging in the air. It's still great to look at though, and opens up nicely in a way that shows it was intended to be serviced. Something tells me these days the expectations are that if something stops working you just throw it in the trash. I've heard about this even in the case of giant waterjet cutting machines. In China they consider many of them to be "disposable"! David *DROOL*

This reminds me of a 310A I have gathering dust on a shelf in my apartment:

http://pcbunn.cithep.caltech.edu/jjb/Tektronix/310A/default.htm

The coolest thing about that scope is that it was apparently built before the advent of the PCB, so there are all these weird ceramic interconnects and resistors hanging in the air. It’s still great to look at though, and opens up nicely in a way that shows it was intended to be serviced.

Something tells me these days the expectations are that if something stops working you just throw it in the trash. I’ve heard about this even in the case of giant waterjet cutting machines. In China they consider many of them to be “disposable”!

David

]]> By: Randy http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/test-equipment-pr0n-the-hp-3312a/comment-page-1/#comment-5464 Randy Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:12:51 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2492#comment-5464 Jeff, if you want test equipment porn, the only place to look is Agilent's 3458A multimeter. To what you saw in the 3312A, add fiber optic cables, two independent power supplies, sliding aluminum panels, and even bigger PCBs. There are a few pictures here: http://www.prc68.com/I/HP3458DVM.shtml, but they hardly do it justice. Jeff, if you want test equipment porn, the only place to look is Agilent’s 3458A multimeter. To what you saw in the 3312A, add fiber optic cables, two independent power supplies, sliding aluminum panels, and even bigger PCBs. There are a few pictures here: http://www.prc68.com/I/HP3458DVM.shtml, but they hardly do it justice.

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